Depositing nanometer-sized particles of metals onto carbon allotropes

Abstract

A process for depositing nanometer-sized metal particles onto a substrate in the absence of aqueous solvents, organic solvents, and reducing agents, and without any required pre-treatment of the substrate, includes preparing an admixture of a metal compound and a substrate by dry mixing a chosen amount of the metal compound with a chosen amount of the substrate; and supplying energy to the admixture in an amount sufficient to deposit zero valance metal particles onto the substrate. This process gives rise to a number of deposited metallic particle sizes which may be controlled. The compositions prepared by this process are used to produce polymer composites by combining them with readily available commodity and engineering plastics. The polymer composites are used as coatings, or they are used to fabricate articles, such as free-standing films, fibers, fabrics, foams, molded and laminated articles, tubes, adhesives, and fiber reinforced articles. These articles are well-suited for many applications requiring thermal conductivity, electrical conductivity, antibacterial activity, catalytic activity, and combinations thereof.

1. A process for depositing nanometer-sized metal particles onto substrates in the absence of aqueous solvents, organic solvents and reducing agents, and without any required treatment of the substrate, which process comprises:
 a) preparing an admixture of a metal compound and a substrate by dry mixing a chosen amount of the metal compound with a chosen amount of the substrate; and 
 b) heating the admixture in an amount sufficient to deposit zero valence metal particles onto the substrate. 
 
     
     
       2. The process of  claim 1 , wherein the admixture is prepared by dry mixing the metal compound and the substrate until substantial uniformity of the admixture is achieved. 
     
     
       3. The process of  claim 1 , wherein the substrate is a carbon allotrope. 
     
     
       4. The process of  claims 3 , wherein the carbon allotrope is a member selected from the group consisting of amorphous carbon, carbon nanofibers, carbon nanofoam, diamond, fullerene graphite, exfoliated graphite, single-walled carbon nanotubes, multi-walled carbon nanotubes, double walled carbon nanotubes, lonsdaleite, and aggregated diamond nanorods. 
     
     
       5. The process of  claim 4 , wherein the carbon allotrope is a member selected from the group consisting of amorphous carbon, exfoliated graphite, fullerene, carbon nanofibers, single-walled carbon nanotubes, double walled carbon nanotubes, and multi-walled carbon nanotubes. 
     
     
       6. The process of  claim 1 , wherein the metal comprising the metal compound is a member selected from the group consisting of Fe, Co, Ni, Ru, Rh, Pd, Os, Ir, Pt, Cu, Ag, Au, Zn, Cd and Hg. 
     
     
       7. The process of  claim 6  wherein the metal comprising the metal compound is a member selected from the group consisting of Pd, Os, Ir, Pt, Ag, Fe and Au. 
     
     
       8. The process of  claim 1 , wherein the particle size of the metal particles which have been deposited on the substrate is between about 1 nanometer and about 500 nanometers. 
     
     
       9. The process of  claim 1 , wherein the metal compound is selected from the group consisting of silver acetate, iron acetate, palladium acetate, platinum acetate, auric acid, palladium tetrachloride, palladium dichloride dimethylsulfide, platinum dichloride dimethylsulfide, and platinum potassium chloride, and wherein energy is supplied to the admixture by heating the admixture to a temperature of between about 250 degrees Celsius and about 350 degrees Celsius for a period of about 2 hours to about 6 hours.